Lubricating means



v Feb. 25, 1930. .0. u. ZERK 1,748,817

LUBRlCAT ING MEANS Filed Sept. 30, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet l j mw Feb. 25, 1930. o. U. ZERK LUBRICATING MEANS Filed sept. 5o, 1929 ZSheets-Sheet 2 A 25 tact type,

la/,tested Feb.' 25,1930

oscar. U. znnmoncmcaeo, ILLINOIS f LUBRICATING MEANS application mea september 3o, 1929. serial 170.896,352.

l My invention relates to lubricatin means 'and methods, and is adaptable equa y well to vehicular lubrication, such as .the chassis bearings of automobiles, tractors, gun carriages, war tanks, locomotives, airplanes, air ships, sea vessels, etc., orto industrial lubrif cation, that is, to the lubrication of stationary machines, such as stamping presses, printing l presses, engines, textile machinery,shafting,

1Q and all the other numerous types of machines and machine tools o'f modern industry.

In grease gun lubrication twojtypes o f ap` paratus are commonly used First, the Interlocking type employing a coupling .for the ,15 purpose of temporarily interlocking the lubricating/ gun nozzle and the lubrlcant re ',ceiving-nipple, and second, the contact type lwhere the-lubricating gun nozzle and 4nipple arenot temporarily interlocked, but simply pressed against each other and held in lubricant communicating contact by manual pressure during the lubricating period.

My invention relates mainly to lubricating 4means and methods of the said second or conwhich involve the use ofnozzle and nipple couplers which I hereimrefer to generally as of the contact type, which in they Erese'nt stateof thefprior art, I believe to be est exemplified by the apparatus, systems l and methods disclosed in Letters Patent of"y the UnitedStates heretofore granted to me 'as follows:

1,475,980, 1,619,455', 1,632,985, 1,632,986,4 1,632,987, 1,645,888, 1,645,889, 1,645,890, 1,655,213, 1,676,626, 1,679,887, 1,679,888, 1,684,080, 1,692,320,` 1,696,217, 1,700,527, 1,703,285, 1,703,286', 1,708,040, 1,708,041, 1,710,719, 1,710,959, 1,711,870, 1,711,871, 1,714,254, 1,720,871, 1,720,872, 1,720,873-, 40 1,720,874. Lf Y stance, inthe first one of the above listed Letters Patent to the requirements of- `commercial quantity production, it has been found that the results actually secured in practice leave much to .be desired. Such apparatus `comprising a nipple engaging nozzle having a spherically face at its end, engageable with the yannular .5 edge of a .relatively -soft steel .nipple end, 1s

n instance,

tory where they are produced,

to it, ,whereby cealed .and direction in which. the small tip of the nipple Vis extended.' 1

` In adapting the apparatus disclosed, for

concave hardened steel sur#I foundA to seriously fail inits intended funcp tion of sealingthe joint 'between the nozzle and nipple against the loss of lubricant. In commercial installations on automobiles, for

y the communication of lubricant from nozzle to nipplefhas been found to involve loss of lubricantfor the following reasons:

First, the annular nozzle-.engaging edge, surrounding the face ,at the extreme end of ,Y the nipple, if made suiliciently sharp, as it must be, in order to operate most eiiciently, is so extremely sensitive to injury by deformation that it is invariably'deformed even during the handling of the n ip les in the facby the packaging appliances,r by the tools by which they are amxed to the bearings to be lubricated, by beingstruck in use, by the nozzle of the/gun itself, in the eiort to make a contact with 'the nipple, and by being struck in the use of the mechanism to which it is attached by other extraneous ol'ects. When said mechanism is a vehicle, yingvstonesconstantly batter thenipple edgesl denting them Aso that the substantially completely annular line -contact required by the teachings of the above listed patents is no longer possible. v V

Second, dueto the fact that the angularity of disposition of the lubricant gun nozzlev in lubricant tight. connection with the ni ple relative thereto as described inthe a ove named patents 1s limited, the operator does v not know, and `cannot know, whenk he has passed the limiting degree of relative angularity in which4 a substantially leakproof contact may be had.' This is especially true when the nipples are covered with a mass of 'escaped greasewith grit particles adhering the tip'of the nipple ifs con- 90 the operator cannot observe the He, therefore, very frequently moves 'the' 'gun beyond the permissible angle and a large 95 sector of Ithe annular edge/'of the nipple isl lifted from engagement with the nozzle contact surface, with the result that the lubricant forced under pressure through the nozzle will pass laterally through the crescent shaped. opening thus provided, rather than into the'relatively high resistant passages of the nipple and bearing.

Third, it isvery diiicult in the quantity production of nozzles for guns to 'commercially obtain the substantially spherical form of nozzle contact face which is required to effect a satisfactory sealing engagement with the annular contact edge of the nipple,-even where such edge is carefully formed. Therefore, unavoidable departures from the spherz le surface.

high pressure, whenever any appreciable angularity between the nozzle and the. nipple is had. v

Fifth, many of the nipples are required to be of angular form, these being known as elbow nipples, and are commonly made by projecting a nozzle engaging tubular tip into an angular bore of the nipple base. Due to the fact that the tips are driven into the bodies of the base, and the driving pressure is required to be applied against the nipple diiiiculties is avoided.

tip surface forming the nozzle engaging contact, this driving pressure often results in deformation of such nipple contact surface. Particularly is this. true since these tips are provided with an extremely thin wall, commonly not more than one thirty-second of an inch thick, deformation during the assembling operation, takes place if the top surface of the nipple is not exactly parallel with the assembly tool, and also whenever chips come between thesetwo surfaces.

An object, therefore, of my invention is to provide an improved lubricating system involving apparatus which may be manufactured in quantities, inexpensively, and involving the combination of an improved nipple with a cooperating nozzle according to a no vel method and in which each of the above Another object of my invention is toprovide an improved manually maintained nozzle and nipple coupler mechanism, of the contact type. Y

Another object of my invention is to provide an limproved method of accomplishing ready manually maintained substantially leakproof contact between a gun nozzle and a nipple, under conditions providing for the disposition of the body of the gun in any of a number of'widely varying angular positions, relative tothe nipple, without involving objectionable .leakage of lubricant for any of the above reasons previously related as pertaining to prior methods, where the attempt was made to accomplish a wide degree of angularity between the gun and associated nipple'.

Another object of my invention is to provide an improved lubricating system inl which a nozzle o a lubricant gun is'adapted to be manually maintained in pressure contact with a lubricant nipple during the lubricating operation under improved conditions permitting the body of the gun to be disposed -at widely variable angular positions relative to the nipple but whereby the nozzle itself will not be required to assume widely variant angular positions relative to the nipple.

Another object of my invention is to provide for widely4 variant angular positioning of the body of the lubricant gun relative to a nipple, at the same time effecting a manually maintained lubricant sealingcontact between the gun nozzle and the nipple under improved conditions requiri ng but slight variance in angularity between the nozzle itself and the nipple.

.Another object of my invention is to provide an improved method for effecting a wide degree of relative angularity between the body of the lubricant gun and any one of a plurality of lubricant receiving nipples, with which the gun is entirely manually, maintained in contact, while supplying lubricant under high pressure from the gun to the nipple. l f

.Another object of my invention is to provide an improved apparatus for a high pressure lubricating system including a gun noz- H zle and nipples cooperating therewith, which are adapted to be readily manufactured inr quantities, at small expense, in a form which will be effective to provide a good seal against the escape of lubricant when the nozzle is manually maintained in contact with the nipple for the communication of lubricant under pressure from the Another object ofymy invention is to provide improved interengaging portions of a lubricant dispensing nozzle and an associated lubricant receiving nipple with cooperant lubricant sealing contact surfaces so formed that the necessity for one of said surfaces being relatively sharp is eliminated. l

Another object of my invention is to dispense `with the necessity of making one of the said Contact surfaces of substantially partiy spherical form, in practice. c

Another object of* my invention is to provide means associated with a pair of cooperant contacting surfaces for a nipple and nozzle of a so-called Contact lubricating system which is so difficult to attain vwhich permit disposition of the lubricant gun gun nozzle to the nipple. 4

carrying the nozzle,

' lubrication, under conditions of' but slight ofmerely providing for slight variations in i viewofan embodiment ofmy invention comp-rising the nozzle relative angularity .of the nozzle to 'the nip ple, and `to forni suchsurfaces in a most eilicient manner appropriate to therequirement angularity, between the axes of the nozzle and nipple.

' cluding a nozzle, and a ynipple 'adapted to `its proper .lubricant sealing position,

will beeffective to restrain the nozzle from Another object ofmy inventioiiis'to pro;

vide an improved apparatusl for a'lubricating system of the above described general character, which will not be susceptible to injury.l

in.' use. v Another object of my invention is to provide improved lubricating mechanism -in receive lubricantunder pressure 'from the nozzle while 'associated Aby direct manual 'thrust of the nozzle toward the nipple, and to provide for guiding'tlie nozzle is guided to 'which engaging the lubricant sealing contact surface of the nipple in such improperway as would otherwise tend to injure it.

Another object ofvmy inventionis to provide an improved nipple and nozzle for a lubricating system wherein thenipple is provided with a lubricant sealing contact sur-l face, so disposed as, notlikely to be struck by flying extraneous objects such asistlonesI orthelike?.

Anotherobject of myy invention iis to provide an improved-nipple'. to which a tubular l open mouthed nozzle end of a grease gun may be applied .to establish a lubricant sealing cont-act by manual pressure, andin which the Contact surface ofthe nipple is recessed between other nipple surfaces spacedy longitudinally ofthe nippler at either .side ofthe contact surface to shield litagainst being struckwby extraneous objects.

Another object. of my invention is to pro- 'Vide av couplermechanism for a lubricating system involving a'lubricant gun nozzle and upon'the other,

a lubricant receiving nipple'inwhich the nozzle'and nipple are provided with cooperative manually maintained lubricant sealing contacting surfaces adapted to slide, one

i while seating to dislodge particles. of grit or the like which would otherwise be interposed between the contacting surfaces and cause leakage of lubricant therebetween.

llAnother obj lit. of Amy invent-ion is to pro-'lV vide an improved nip-ple, engagea-ble by'a cooperaiit nozzle of a nozzle guide for a nip-ple element of 'a manually maintained coupler v'involving a lubricant gun whereby the nozzle will-beguided to'lubricant sealing position'up'on association of the nozzle with the nipple: by a ,manuall'yf directed, thrust A ofthe nozzle ,toward the nipple.

Other objects of my invention andthe' Figure view of a nozzle applied to a' nipple carried in a mount to form an elbow nip-ple element, l

vention itself will be better understood from the following description of certain embodiments thereof, of my invention wherein reference is to be had to the accompanying draw'- ings illustrating said embodiments'. Referring to the drawings: f Y Figurev l is a longitudinal medial sectional end of a high pressure 1ubricating gun associated with a nipple mount-v v and the nozzle being disposed at a slight angle 4to thev axis of the 'nipple with the gun end shown' as preliminarily disposed at a greater angle thereto; z i

Figure 3 is a view like Figure 2 illustrating thev parts of the gun and nozzle, shifted from that positionillustrated in Figure 2, bythe application of longitudinal pressure, mannally applied to the gun, 1

directed toward the. nipple 4 is a longitudinal medial sectional which-is another embodiment of my invention-..

l Figure 5 is an elevational view ofa nipple assumed to be attached to an element of l'a bearing for an automobile chassis and in which a lsmall stone isshown as thrown against thelnipple; and j Figure 6 is/a View correspo to that of 'llustrating another embodiment Figure 1 but 1 of my invention..

Referring now and Figure 5, in all of designated by like vreference characters,

which like parts are to Figures 1 to 3, inclusive,f

I show a'base of a nipple having a preferably hexagonallateral surface. An externally threaded taper stem'2 extends longitur dinally ofthe base in one direction and a reduced tubular shaft 3 extends longitudinally v '.fromftlie base in the opposite direction. thebase, stem and shaft being, preferably, intee grally .formed from a single piece'of -steel andprovided with a longitudinal bore extending' therethrough. The hexagonal' base adapts the nipple for turning by 4a/wrench to apply the nipple, by its ,stein to an element of bearing to be lubricatedi The bore comprise's'tlie Vseveral successively` 'reduced.interconnecting portions 4, 5 and 6,

there being provided between the bore portions 5 and 6 an interiorly extending flange-- of annular form, provided by breaching the material therebf from the annular walls of the bore portion 5. A

, An inwardly extending annular ange 8 iis --Kprovided at thefshaft end ofthegnipple bore and restricts the area of opening thi'ough the shaft. Intermediate the base 1 anddtheshaft 3 I provide a. 'shoulder Contact portion 9 which is-provided with an annular outer conL tact surface', of progressively decreased diameter proceeding longitudinally of the nipple, said contact surface being presented towards the nozzle receiving free end of the shaft.

The shoulder contact portion 9, within the purview of this invention, may have its outer contact surface of any of many different forms, taken in the longitudinal direction; in the embodiment illustrated, suchouter contact l surface is longitudinally curved, the radius of its longitudinal curvature being approximately equal to 4one-fourth of the diameter 'of the shoulder portion when measured transversely of thenipple, at its portion of greatest trans-N verse diameter. A check valve ball 10 is continuously pressed to seating engagement with the inner edge of the flange 8 by a helical spring 11, whose one end engages the-ball, and` whose other end terminates in an annulus seated upon the flange 7. The tubular shaft 3 is provided with a outer surface and preferably has an upper rounded edge 12. f l

Any suitable form. of lubricant compressor I gun such, for instance, as are disclosed in the different above listed patents, may be em-4 ployed to supply lubricant to the nipple, as

described,.when such a gun is provided with a suitable .open ended nozzle such as the one shown; the tubular end of the gun-13 supports a nose 14 screw -threaded at 15 therein, the nose having a shoulder flange 16 near its threaded end and is longitudinally bored throughout its length; an annular ball valve seat element 17 is forced into its one end to form a ball seat 18 at its inner edge for a check valve ball 19^pressed to seat there' against by a helical spring 20. l.

The spring 2O engages, by its one end, the ball 19 and by its other end, with a shoulder,

21, of the bore, formed intermediate ofits ends. v'Iheinose 14 terminates in an end 22 having a parti-spherical surface 23 which is centrally bored at 24 to form a lubricant discharge opening for the nose. The nose 14 carries a tubular nozzle 25 fitted onto the ball end of t'helose insuch a manner as to make close tting leakproof pressure engagement.

the nozzle having tubular lateral walls'28.v

An annular gasket 29 of a compressible material such as cork or the like is seated on the shoulder 44 provided by the junction of the walls 28 with the reduced portion of the nozzle.

The ball end 46 of the nose 14 being then L projected into the socket provided by the nozzle walls 28 the walls 28 are pressed inpreferably cylindrical for wardly, as shown at 45, against the lateral tions 45 of the nozzlewallsrj with the outer surface 23 of the ball 46 is hadA along an annular surface of the ball disposed on the other side of its medial circumferential portion relative to the gasket 29'and, therefore, effects a longitudinal pressure effort of the ball 46 against the gasket 29holding it in Acompression and effecting, therefore, a good lubricant-.seal of the ball and nozzle surfaces engaged by the gasket.

Interposed'between the flange 27 of the nozzle and the flange 16 of the nose, is a helical spring 26 held to longitudinally compressed form with its convolutions placed, while in such form, sufficiently close -together that when the nozzle 25 is oscillated over the parti-spherical surface23 of the gun nose, as illustrated, for instance, in Figures 2 and 3, the successive convolutions of the spring 26 at one side of the spring will be brought towards engagement, and when the nozzle is moved toa still more angular position relative to the nose they may be brought into contact and will more stronglyresist further angular movement of the nozzle relative to the nose. v

The spring 26 is threaded to its position as shown over the flange 27 which is of relatively small thickness, toy adapt it for the purpose of permitting the spring to be threaded thereover. A

In this manner I provide a form of universal joint between the nose and the nozzle resisting but resilientlyyielding to pressure effecting variation of axial alignment between the nose 'and nozzle, i'n-.which objectionable loss. of lubricant between the contacting surfaces of nose and nozzle is avoidedand in which the principal parts will be resiliently restored to alignment after the manually effected pressure,y disturbing such alignment, is removed.

Engageable with the outer longitudinally rounded inclined contact surface of the annularly formed portion 9 of the nipples, employed in my improved lubricating system, as previously described, I provide a suitable contact end portion for theV nozzle 25 of the lubricant gun; at 32 the contact end portion the. nozzle'is shown as bein-g annular in form and transversely rounded on its end surfaces. Although the form of contact surface of the nozzle end 22 whichV engages the contact surface ofthe nipple portion'9 may vention the precise longitudinal configuration y i i 50i 'of thenozzle and nipple contacting surfaces contact surfaces variable in vlongitueiiic1ent use 1n my improved system 1n combination w1th nozzle contact surfaces of widely `varying forms.

Reiierrmg nowv more particularl to'Figure l i 4f of the drawings, illustrating vw at is cornmonly known as an .elbow nipple, in the embodimentv illustrated, this is made in two ing the nipple per se,

tubular parts, the stem of the part constitutinto'an angularly extending portion of the bore'of a headof the other part which constitutes a support,'for :the said nipple-per se.

The support 34 is provided with a tapered i threaded stem 35, corresponding tothe stem 2 1 ofFigure 1 in its relation to the bearing part associated with such stem,a head 36, andan intermediate waist 37 having a 4preferably hexagonal outer surface. The stem is `bored longitudinally at 38, the bore extendinginto i pressed.'

vthe head through. the waist to communicate with a bore of the head disposed angularly t the bore 38; inthe latter angular b0re,`/ the' stem` 39 of the nipple,per se, is tightly The nipple element perse offF'igure 4 with -such an intermediate hexagonal base 1 as provided for the nipple vofthe other figures, and

its `stemis preferably. provided with a substantially cylindrical outer surface,adapted for projection into the head 36, until the base '35 head. vThe portion of the shoulder portion 40 engages with the sponds to. the straight type nipple ofthe foregoing figures. .The operation .of communicating lubricant from a lubricant. gun under high'pressure is effected, generally, in the -manner typical of 'contact lubricating systems,4 wherein the gun handle,

vwith the pressure effort exertedupon the gun by lts neither of which is shown, though nozzle is manually pressed into engagement nipple and the forwardly directed wellfunderstood in this art, preferably 'condegree ofiiuidpressure exertat the same tween the cooper'a'nt contacting surfaces of In the embodiment 1 t.3,-inclusive,"and 5, Figure 1 illustrates the in association: withv a nipple, for .communicating the gunto the nozzle and-'1 1ipple.v 'llustrated in Figures'l nozzle end only ofthe gun,

the nipple, the gun, nozzle,l

.nipple being illustrated as being in approxl- I' 6'0 `mately axial alignment. When the lubricant in the-gun 1s put under suiiicient pressure,

. usually by' manual 'cfl'ort, 'the valve balls 19 f and 10 are successively unseatedby the pressure. of lubricant forced ythrough the communicatmg bores ofthe lubricant nose 14,

.being tightly pressed' nozzle to the 1nter1or bore ofthe nlpple will be, therefore, manually maintained, Without 'gun deflected a condition, responds by 40, functionally lcorr'c- 'shoulder portion 9 of theA lcated in Figure` 3,-

the nozzle 25,'.and entering the bore of the f nipple f shaft 3.

vand the gasket 29, interposed between the nose 14 and nozzle 25, is intensified by the `manual 4pressure exerted -longitudinally of lubricant-i seal I effected -between theparti-spherical surface' 23 of the gun nose Communication of lubricant from'. the gun objectionable. loss of lubricant.

Figure 2 shows the nose 14'of the lubricant A l angular-ly relative to the axis of the nipple shaft fpreparatory to injection of lubricant from. the gun \into the nipple from such' a relative angular"position. The intermediately disposed taking the -prelimlfli-igure 2, wherein nary yposition shown in the portion of its annular contact :surface 33 disposed most remote from. the gun slides upwardly upon the inclined contact surface surface port1on'33 the annular cont'act pple Contact surface isarrestedjby.

nozzle 25 under such 'of the nipple portion ,9 and the nearer contact slides downwardlyuponsurface'of the nipple por-A 'tion 9, until further movement ofthe nozzle f .on the engagement of the -mner surface ofthe no'zzle bore wlth 'the outer surface-of the: nipple 1 shaft 3 near its end at 42.). Ihe engagement at 42 of the .nozzleand nipple arrests of the nozzle relativctothe nipple although at the-same time the gun axis of the nose 14 is inclined consdeiablyrelative to theaxisv of the nozzle. 25.

further angular displacement vThe' subsequently occurringl 'lubricating operation Ipreferably eected in theusual i i' manner by incidental-manually directing a.

thrust effort of the gun toward the nipple,

then

causes a reverse sliding and oscillative' movement of the nozzle on the surface o'f y the nipple portion' 9, to the position indii' until further tilting of the nozzle 25 in an angular direction relotive tothe axis ofthe nipple shaft 3 opposite.

to the angular direction of the nose 14 1s arrestcdfby inter-engagement of. lateral surfaces-of the nipple sha and the interior: surface of the nozzle bore at 42 closely ad]a. cent theend of the shaft. The continuance 1 of manual'pressure effects', the wellknown Way,

communication' ofllubric'antfpast the p valve balls 19 and 10, a good lubricantseal. be1ng had, meanwhile, between the engagedv contact surfacesv -of .the nozzleand nipple along-the substantially annular-.zone of coniv tactindlcated by aldottedv line in Figure- 34 i As shown in Figure a the. one a .of-m1-r ing contact during the lubricating operation, is inclined upwardly from left to right, and referring back now to Figure 2, the preliminary zone of contact indicated by the dotted vline 43 is reversely inclined downwardly from left to right.r This shifting of the zone Aof Contact is had during each lubricating substantially always `effective to wipe' the inoperation, since practically, precise angular alignment of the, nose of the gun with the nipple shaft rarely occurs, and the sliding of the engaged contact surfaces is, therefore,

terengaging contact surfaces of the nozzle and nipple, to -clear them of suchvdirt particles as may have collected thereon.

This wiping' action is likewise effective upon the contact surface of the nozzle in contact with the nipple contact surface, since because, and by virtue of the fact that the contact surfaces of the nozzle and nipple are formed otherwise than asa parti-surface of va sphere, in the different angular positions of the nozzle, a sliding action of-the nipple contact -surface across that of the" nozzle lmust necessarily andinevitably take place.

Referring now to Figures 1 to 3, inclusive, and Figure 5, three different angular positions of the nozzle relative to the nipple are therein shown vin Figure 1 only, illustrating a condition of axial alignment of nozzle and nipple, 'the outer walls of the nipple shaft 7 3 are shown as being spaced from the inner walls. of the nozzle boresubstantially equally all around the shaft. This precise condition,' during a lubricating operation, seldom pre` vails, but is never widely departed from due to the engagement as described, as at 42 'and 42', of the nozzle and nipple interiorly the parts are relatively proportioned as illus-- trated in enlarged views, the bore of the nozof the nozzle.

In an embodiment of my inventlon wherem zle may be one-thirty-second of an inch f greater inv diameter than the surface of the nipple shaft to provide one-sixty-fourth of an inch spacing when the parts are in the `position 'shown in Figure l; I then preferably make4 the shaft 3 of such a length, which in the embodiment illustrated is approximately three-sixteenths of an inch, that nozzle arresting engagement between the shaft andthe interior surface of the nozzle will occur when the nozzle is angularly deflected A about threedegrees from axial alignment the oscillationofthe parti-spherically formed n shaft for the nipple and by suitably gun-with its axis disposed more angu" nose end surface `23 on the annular surface 29 of the nozzle, against the resiliency of the connector, spring 26 tending to maintain v the nose and'nozzle in alignment.

I and that Within prescribed ninas f Y three degreesvariation in all'possible angularly different relative positions of nozzle4 and nipple, for the embodiment as illustrated and described, the width of any possiblel `above given dimension Lforgthe crevice, reA

sulting alone-from the form of the contacting surfaces and the varying angular positions of the nozzle 4relative -to the nose. Such `crevices resulting from such variations, for

a three degree variation of angularity. are, therefore, tion, and do not lubricant.

. However, a better sealing contact `may be had between the more abruptly curved interengaging contact surfaces of the nozzle and nipple 'contemplated herein than would be possible were the surfaces, oreither of them, less abruptly longitudinally curved, as has` been proposed heretofore in some of my said prior patents.`

'By providing a relatively short stubby rounding the endlcontact surfaces of the nozzle, and by virtue of the reaction ofxthe spring 26 distorted after the manner illustrated in Figures 2 and 3, should the operator ,attemptvto achieve greater angularity of the gun relative during the period of any lubricant sov too minute for serious considera-y practlcally eiiectcloss of ino to the nipple than is practical, in orderto achieve suicient sealing pressure derived from the manual thrusting effort of the operator upon the gun, the nozzle25 will be v snapped over and'of of the nipple shaftand the operator will notwaste effort and lubricant, in a misdirected continued effort to achieve lubrication, with the gun held 'too angularly, relative to the nipple.

In the embodiment of my invention shown in Figure 6, the tubular nozzle 55 iskprovided with an outwardlyv extending -annular flange 57 near its one end and an inwardly extending annular flange 58 near its other'end. The flange 58 is provided withinwardly extending converging walls frusto-c'onical in form, the frustro-conical wall 59 thereof making `leakproof pressure engagement with the said parti-spherical surface 53 of the lubricant gun nose` which is projected! within said walls Intermediate the flanges and '5 8 'the bore of the nozzleis vmadeisufliciently large in diameter as to permit the nozzle to be fitted quite easily over the shaft?, of a nipple such as that above described, and of which a large number will be provided on 'a mechanism adjacent bearings thereof for receiving lubricana-interchangeably, from the 'same gun Y .inaccordance with the prevailing practice'.

Both the nose of the gun andthe nozzle "have corresponding' outer surfaces correspondingly helicallygrooved, as shown at 3() for the nozzle and at 31 for the nipple, to receive therein successive of the opposlte'end coilsof the helical spring 56 which are screw threaded onto. said helically grooved surfaces of the nose 'and nozzle.v

By predetermining the length of the spring relative to the spacing and lengthv of the parts joined, when the parts'are screw threaded to the spring, it is caused to be vlongitudinally extendedv against its resiliency, in such ya mannen as to effect separation of. successive of itsintermediate convolution's; ,the vreaction of the -spring resisting such separation of its convolutions draws the .gun nose and the nozzle therefor together Iin such' a way as.. to 'vpreliminarily' I. establish a very firm spring pressure maintained contact between t the parti-spherical end. surface of the nose and the frustro-conical .nosej engaging surbearing B disposed, say,

l an vautomobile chassis' nea-r" facef'of the nozzle.

f 'Figure 5 is, an elevationall viewof a nipple'- assumedl to be .attached to an elementof-` a on the underside of the wheels and with a fragment of s'toneshown at 'S'thrown by the wheelsagainst the nipple.v This ig-,

vure-1sv illustrative 'ofthe importance of re f cessing the contact face of the -nipple portion .9 relative to the other parts of the nipple which i n the embodiment of my .invention -V illustrated. are the peripheral portions of the base 1 vand the end .peripheral .portion of` r the shaft'B, which are alone engaged by the stone Sv to' prevent further inward movement,

'of the stone towards the surface of the por- 'tion 9 te injure it. 'When one considers that 'the distance along the line X--X joining the protecting portions of ythe-nipple is'but'nin'e thirty-seconds of aninch in nipples 'of comv operation,

mer'cialA size, portions will protect the relatively recessed contact surface of the nipple portion 9 against even very small stones,

is quite evident.-

In the practical use of the gun nozzle and nipples of myI invention 'lubricantrema'ining in the recessed nozzle, after a lubricating and resulting therefrom, effects a cleaning of a nipple upon which the lubricant containing nozzle is nexttelescoped. In such a casethe nipple shaft 3displaces lubricant y therefrom which flows, with force along the with suiicient @are 'to efficiently function of a check valve but are relied upon as a closure of the nipple mouth.

.in the nipple,

the fact that these projectinglateral walls 'of the shaft', avery small of the lubricant passing withl substantial velocity from the space between the -shaft andthe interior walls of the nozzle, between. the contact surfaces of the `nozzle and nipple, disposed at the base ofthe shaft 3,. as'

these contact surfaces closely/ approach each other. ,A 4 This moving lm of lubricant, ,though 1n negligible quantity, is squeezed between the' clearing vsuch surfaces of any accumulated layer ofy dirt and grit particles.. The con- `tact surfaces ofrthe nozzle and the nipple being then brought together with considerable pressure lubricant, la

bites the thin ilm of expressed den with the particles of dirt 4seating contactsurfaces of nozzle and lnippleso' 't and grit, from the annular body of lubricant then surrounding the shaft of the 'ni ple. lUpon'witlidrawing' the gun nozzle om the nipple much, vof the annular body of lubricant, above referred to as surrounding the nozzle4 by virtue"`of a'partial vacuum'at the time. created lwithin the nozzle mouth yby the removal therefrom of the'end of the nipple. Some of this lubricant will b e retained on the end surface of theas may at thesame time pass the valve ball 1 0 ofthe nipple.

the nipple shaft, lis drawn upwardly -withA v nipple, sup-` .pleinented to some extent by such lubricant` Ball valves for lnbricant t.

nipples of' commercial; types are `not `rnadeperform the chieljr against the ingress 'of dirt. The lubricant under pressure, having co'm`- pressed air bubbles' in the lubricant will re-v act, usually, to express lubricant for the end of the which'adheres largely to its' lateral interior surfaces, and whichforinsalining for the lateral walls. of they lubricant nozzle mouth. Now when the lubricant lined lateral walls of'the'nipplestem to squeeze the thin film of lubricant, previously' mentioned, between the a small amount of.

nipple shaft; yThe mouth ofthe nozzle is thereby leftl with a considerable supply of lubricant' los closely approaching lubricant sealing conv tact surfaces of the nozzle and'nipple. j

Should theuozzle1mouth be so completely illed with lubricant prior to placing it over a nipple'shaft that no air` would be trapped, the pressure is Iset 'up by simple displacement of lubricant by the nipple shaft and the same contact surfacecleaningl film of liquid ex*- l' pressed: between themeeting contact surfaces of the nozzle andv nipple,v at substantial velocity, as before.

I do not claim herein the nipple per se as disclosed in the different figures of drawing hereof, these being claimed,- per scy in my copending application Serial No. 397 ,714 filed October 5, 1929.

Having thus described my invention in i certain embodiments and under certain convditions of use I am aware that numerous and extensive departures may be made from the substantially larger diameter than the shaft and engageable with said Contact surface to effect a lubricant seal therewith when telescoped over the shaft.

'A 2. In a lubricating system, the combination of a nozzle and a nipple,'of the contact type, said nipple lcomprising joined tubular stem and shaft portions, said nipple having an inwardly inclined annular contact surface presented toward the free end of the shaft but substantially spaced therefrom, said nozzle terminating at its discharge end in a tubular portion of substantially larger diameter than the shaft, telescopable thereover and engageable with said contactsurface to seal the jointl thereat between the nozzle and the nipple against escape of lubricant throughout a plurality of different angular relative positions of nozzle and nipple.

- 3. In a lubricating system,a nozzle termi-Y nating in a tubular end, a nipple of the contact type comprising joined tubular stem and shaft portions, and having an inwardly inclined annular surface presented toward but substantially spaced from the free end of the shaft, said nozzle end freely telescopable over the shaft tomake a manually maini `tained wedging lubricant sealing pressure engagement with said annular surface. `J

4. In a lubricatingsystem, a nozzle terminating in a tubular end, a nipple of the contact type comprising joined tubular stem and shaft portions, and having an inwardly inclined annular surface presented toward but substantially spaced from the free end of the shaft, said nozzle end freely telescopable over the shaft to make a manually maintained wedging lubricant sealing'pressure engagement with saidv annular surface, said nozzle having anvinteriorly disposed wall surface 4engageable with the shaft near its free end to limit the relative angular positions of saidv nozzle and shaft.

5. In a lubricating system, a lubricant gun terminating in a lubricant dispensing nozzle, said nozzle swivelably carried on a nose of the gun, and terminating in a tubular end, a nipple of the contact type comprising joined tubular stem and shaft portions, and having an inwardly inclined. annular surface prey sented toward but substantially spaced from the freeend of the shaft, said nozzle freely telescopable over the shaft tomake a manually maintained wedging pressureflubricant sealing engagement with'said annular surface, said nozzle having an interiorly disposed wallsurface engageable with the shaft near its free endto limit the angular movement of said nozzle relatively to the'shaft, whilesaid pressure engagement lis maintained.

6. InA a lubricating system, a nozzle terminating in a substantially cylindrical tubular end, a nipple of the contact type comprising joined substantially cylindrical stem and shaft portions, said nozzle end freely telescopable-over the shaft, the interior nozzle bore walls upon lateral movements of the nozzle relative to the shaft engageabletherewith to restrict said movements, and a substantially lubricant leakproof oscillative coupler contact means for said nozzle'and nipple comprisingl the tip of said nozzle end and an annular bead of said nipple engageable thereby, disposed substantially remote fromits end, operable responsive to manually effected pressure directed upon the nozzlelongitudinally thereof toward the nipple.

7. In a'lubricating system, a lubricant gun having a terminal nose, and a nozzle oscillatively carried thereon, a nipple of the contact type comprising a tubular shaft and a shoulder portion providing an inwardly inclined annular surface presented toward but sub-l s'tantially spaced from a free end of the shaft, said nozzle'freely telescopable over the shaft to make a manually maintained wedging lubricant sealing pressure engagement with said annular surface.

8. In a lubricating system, a lubricant gun-y having a terminal nose, and anozzle, oscillatively carried thereby, a nipple of the contact type comprising a tubular shaft and a shouli der portion providing an inwardly linclined annular surface presented toward but substantiall'y spaced from a free end of the shaft, said 'nozzle freely telescopable over the shaft to make a manually maintained wedging lubricant sealing pressure engagement with said annular surface., and means comprising a spring`carried by the gun for resiliently constraining the nozzle toward a normal position of its axis relative t0 that of the gun nose.

9; In a lubricating system, a lubricant gun having a terminal nose, and a nozzle oscillatively carried thereon, .a nipple ofthe contact type comprising a tubular shaft and' a shoulder portion providing an inwardl' clined annular 'surface presented towar substantially spaced from a free end of the shaft, said 'nozzle freely telescopable over lthe shaft to make a manually malntamed wedging lubricant sealing pressure engagement v with said annular surface,

and a coiledspring nozzle and exerting joining said nose and theY longitudinal dipressure therebetween in rection. A

y 10. In a lubricating system, a lubricant gun having a terminal nose, and a nozzle, a nipple v of the contact type comprising a'tubular shaft and a shoulder portion providing an inwardly butsubstantiallyflspaced inclined annular .surface presented toward from'a free end of the shaft, said nozzle freely `telescopable over the shaft to make a manuallymaintained wedging lubricant sealingpressure engagement with said-annular surface, said nozzle and nose making oscillative lubricant sealing. contacting engagement narrow annular zone ,of contact defining the v y of angularly different relative positions of the v the contact surface ual pressure exerted on rection of the nipple to reciprocate thenozzle j contact surface over the contact surface 0fl f' universal ]o1nt means for the nozzle,

peripheral limit .of a lubricant space around the shaft between the nose and nozzle,.effect ing intercommunication of lubricant from the nose to the nozzle in any of a number and a coiled spring joining said nose and nozzle and exerting pressure therebetween to maintain lubricant sealing contact between the lnozzle and nose.

11. In combination with a nipple of a 'contact type lubricating system, a nozzle therefor, and means operative, after placement of of the nozzle into engagement with the contact surface of the nipple, responsive to manual pressure exerted on the nozzle in the direction ofathe nipple to laterally slide the nozzle contact surface over the nipple contact surface.

12. In combination with a nipple of a connose and nozzle,

vtact typelubricating system, a nozzle therefor, and means operative responsive `to manual pressure exerted on the nozzle in the direction of the nipple to` laterally reciprocate the nozzlecontact vsurface over the contact surface of the nipple.y

13. In combination with a nipple ofa con-l system, a nozzle theretact type'lubricating for, and means-operative responsive to manthe nipplensaid means including a spring and spring resiliently resisting movement of the universal joint-means.

'In witness whereof, I hereunto' my name this 28th day of September, 1929. f' l OSCAR' U. ZERK.

inbut by a relatively said 

